SRINAGAR — Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Dr Moulvi Muhammad Umar Farooq on Friday described the devastation caused by floods in Nepal and across the Himalayan region as a warning for Jammu and Kashmir, calling for greater protection of the region’s fragile mountain ecology.
Addressing the Friday congregation at the historic Jama Masjid Srinagar, the Mirwaiz expressed solidarity with the people of Nepal and prayed for those who lost their lives, those still missing and all those affected by the disaster.
He said Jammu and Kashmir was part of the same fragile Himalayan belt and was already witnessing more intense rainfall, cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides.
“Climate change is undoubtedly a major factor, but we must also ask whether our own pattern of development is making the situation more dangerous,” he said.
Concerns over development practices
The Mirwaiz said Kashmir’s mountains, lakes and rivers were not only central to its natural beauty and tourism economy but also a source of sustenance for a large section of the population.
He expressed concern over what he described as the “reckless” exploitation of the region’s ecology in the name of commerce and development, pointing to mountain cutting and blasting for roads, felling of trees, construction of hotels and buildings in ecologically sensitive areas, and disturbance of natural drainage channels. He warned that continued activity without adequate scientific and environmental safeguards could increase the risk of disasters.
The Mirwaiz also raised concern over encroachment of wetlands, lakes and flood channels, urging people not to occupy or construct upon such areas.
“Wetlands are not unused land; they are natural buffers that absorb excess water and protect human settlements,” he said.
Remarks on Dal Lake
Referring specifically to Dal Lake, the Mirwaiz said its condition demonstrated the consequences of prolonged encroachment, construction and environmental neglect.
“We have only to look at the condition of our own Dal Lake to understand how prolonged encroachment, construction and environmental neglect can damage a precious natural system. It is shrinking day by day while we look the other way as if it’s no concern of ours,” he said.
Quoting the Holy Qur’an, he said, “And do not cause corruption on the earth after it has been set in order.”
Call for collective responsibility
The Mirwaiz said the responsibility for protecting the fragile Himalayan environment rested collectively with authorities, planners, businesses and citizens. He called for a balance between infrastructure and tourism development and the preservation of the region’s ecology, saying the consequences of disturbing mountains, forests, wetlands and waterways could become irreversible.
“The tragedy in Nepal must be seen as a warning close to home. We too live in the Himalayas,” he said. “Protecting our environment today is not merely about conservation. It is about protecting lives, homes and the future of our children,” he added.
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